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Rey had a secret.
Since early childhood, she’d often known things that she shouldn’t. She could move objects without touching them, too; sometimes without even meaning to.
Before he died, her father had instilled in Rey the need to hide. One moment of carelessness would be enough for the government to find her. To take her and study her.
So now, over her birthday gift, Rey looked at her neighbor Ben with horror. Not because she feared him, but because his fear might bring them to her.
She had never had friends before Ben arrived. Now, he was her best friend. Someone to celebrate her birthday with. He’d brought her a pretty orchid in a blue vase and she’d been touched. When it fell, she tried to catch it from too far away.
It was a horrible mistake. She had gone cold after seeing it hang in thin air. Then Ben reached out, and it dropped neatly into his hands.
“Rey? Are you okay?”
She forced her gaze up. He was looking at her with a slightly puzzled smile, as if nothing had happened. Her heart started pounding. Was it possible he hadn’t noticed?
“Just don’t water it too much.”
Rey almost couldn’t hear his voice over the roar in her ears. “Ben,” she whispered. Maybe he was scared, and pretending it hadn’t happened?
He took his phone from his pocket, and Rey lunged towards him. Visions of men in white coats flashed through her mind. Padded cells, like the one her mother had died in. She couldn’t let him call anyone.
Ben stepped back, gripping the device tighter. “I thought you wanted to order pizza.”
She wanted to trust Ben, but he knew her secret. And he was acting like he didn’t. Lying, like they did. She couldn’t trust him, now—but she would make him understand.
For the first time, Rey tried to use her powers on purpose. She reached out with her mind and tugged at Ben’s phone. It flew out of his grasp towards her hand, then stopped in midair.
A grin broke over Ben’s face. Sweat beaded along Rey’s neck as she tried harder to make the phone come to her.
“Why do you want my phone, Rey?” Ben’s voice was soft, and there was a teasing lilt to it. “If you tell me, maybe I’ll give it to you.”
She growled in frustration. “No reason.”
He laughed. Rey’s eyes flicked back to his face, and she shuddered. He wasn’t afraid of her at all. He was having fun. Something was very wrong.
Rey released her effort, and the phone snapped back into Ben’s hand. He slid it into his pocket. Rey’s throat tightened. That was why she couldn’t take it from him—he’d been fighting against her.
He had the same powers she did.
“I think it’s time we had a talk.” Ben turned away and walked to the sofa. “Come on,” he said, sitting. “We’ll order pizza to celebrate.”